Greystone is actually two courses independently operatingunder the names Greystone and Cypress Creek.annually has equaled the number giving itup the past several years.Because the Greystone courses werea separate business from the residentialdevelopment, the previous owners took abath trying to profit from golf and maintainthe courses while keeping up membershipsto fund the operation.“Let’s face it, golf,though it is called thesport of a lifetime,you do it with yourextra money,” Coopersaid. “And whenyou’re in tough times,golf dues are the firstthings to go.”Now, the coursesare separate entities. Cooper kept thename Greystone for his course, whileWard’s group operates Cypress CreekCountry Club.And though it might appear a rivalry forthe golf dollar has sprung up between thebusinesses, neither group sees it much thatway.“You have to understand, we havetwo different business models,” Self said.“Greystone, or Mountain Springs, is acountry club, with swimming pool, golfcourse, the total package.“We are solely a golf club. We’re not asocial club and we’re not going to have apool. That’s not who we are. If you want asocial atmosphere and you want a countryclub atmosphere, you’re going to be joiningup there.”Greystone-Mountain SpringsThe Mountain Springs side was originallybuilt with a large clubhouse on thehighest point of the golf property, andCooper saw an opportunity; Cypress Creekonly has a golf shop and small dining area.“I was amazed at the spacious clubhouseand all the amenities that wereincluded with it,” Cooper said. “Subsequently,we put $300,000 in renovationof the clubhouse and sports bar. We’re soproud of what we’ve got up there.”Cooper also decided the club neededan upscale pro shop as well as a learningcenter for golfers, and it already possessed‘‘We are solely a golf club.We’re not a social club andwe’re not going to have a pool.That’s not who we are.’’– Jack Selfa good driving range. Cooperbrought aboard former Nationwideand PGA Tour golferRichard Johnson as pro andcontracted with Justin Hill tooperate a golf academy on site.Greystone was up and runningwith 18 holes early lastMay.“We had a really good firstyear,” Cooper said. “We’re expectinga really good year thisyear. … We ended up with over220 members that came back,and we’re going to add to that this year.”Cooper said the membership andresidents of Greystone understood “theywould have to share this with the public forit to work, and they overwhelmingly agreedto it.”Greystone has daily fee rates, and theclubhouse and sports bar are open toanyone.The course camewith zoysia fairways,and Cooperhad a Mini-Verdiultra-dwarf puttingsurface installed onthe greens in placeof the harder-tomanagebentgrass.Over the course of nearly a year, somebunkers had washed out and landscapinghad deteriorated.All that was tackled in 2012, he said.Cypress CreekSelf serves as pro and main superintendentunder the title “ Director of Golf.” Afterchanging the greens from bentgrass toa fast, TifEagle Bermuda grass, the coursewas ready to open at the end of July.A bunker renovation product wasscheduled to start this March, as well assome irrigation work to help the coursebetter conserve water, Self said.Cypress Creek immediately began operatingwith a daily fee rate as competitiveas any in the market: $25 for greens fee andcart. Self said that likely would be bumpedup $5 this spring.The course also offered two monthlymembership programs, one for golf at anytime for $170 and another for golf Mondaythrough Thursday for $125 a month.Cypress Creek also is part of a 13-clubpartnership program, the brainchild of proTim Jenkins at Country Club of Arkansas,which allows members to play several ofthe leading daily fee courses in the state.“We don’t owe anyone money, we’re notgoing bankrupt,” Self said. “The guys whobought this course said they’d put all themoney back into the course for a minimumof the next three years. … They’re not worriedabout their investment.”Giving It Back to GolfJim Cooper grewup in Melbourne, andwhen he had madeenough money inthe long-term carebusiness, he wanted tobring big-time golf tohis rural hometown.The late Bobby Mc-Gee, a posthumous inducteein the ArkansasGolf Hall of Fame, designed an 18-hole coursefor Cooper, and readers of “Executive Golfer”voted “Cooper’s Hawk” the No. 1 public/dailyfee course in Arkansas in 2012.Cooper added to his golf holdings last yearby purchasing the closed Mountain Springscourse at the Greystone residential developmenton Highway 5 near Cabot. The course willnow be known as Greystone Country Club.Cooper will still live a chip shot from hisMelbourne course, where he tries to maintaina 4 handicap.“I haven’t had a chance to play a lot lately,”he said.As for Cooper’s Hawk in Melbourne, it “willnever be a money maker,” Cooper said. “Wejust want to break even and keep the coursehere in a rural area.“As for Greystone, we want to keep makingimprovements there and I want to see a lot ofchanges in the next five, six years. We mightwant to reroute a few holes, change somegreens, make the course longer in someplaces. … Personally, I have a lot of ambitionsto make Greystone something special there incentral Arkansas.”Cooper said he has been around nursinghomes and health care since 1987. “That’smy business where I have primary income,”he said. “I spend something related to thenursing home business every day, and it’s aseven-day, 24-hour, 365-day endeavor.”That makes golf just a sideline hobby,something Cooper loves and something that’sled to lasting friendships and more business,the competitive Cooper said. It’s also why heenlisted Richard Johnson and his wife, Yvette,to run the Greystone course along with JohnnyWhite, the former, longtime athletic directorat Cabot.His father, and uncle and aunt are businesspartners along with the Johnsons.Richard Johnson, a native of Wales, calledFort Smith his home for a while, as it was hiswife’s hometown. Johnson was the leadingmoney winner on the Nationwide Tour in 2007and earned a PGA Tour card.After a short time on the PGA Tour, a wristinjury ended his playing career. He was thegolf coach at UCA for two years before joiningGreystone.— By Jim Harris34 ARKANSAS BUSINESS EXECUTIVE GOLFER / 2013
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